


Sunny Side Of The Street

by DashFlintceschi



Series: Prompt Table [15]
Category: You Me At Six
Genre: I've literally never had a beta though are you surprised, M/M, Max is barely there tbh, most of this is unrealistic but go with me on this, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26082019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DashFlintceschi/pseuds/DashFlintceschi
Summary: Josh has been homeless for the past four years, and sleeping rough for the past three. The need for a warm patch of sunlight on a cold morning can change everything.
Relationships: Dan Flint/Josh Franceschi
Series: Prompt Table [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/510521
Kudos: 3





	Sunny Side Of The Street

**Author's Note:**

> Number 19 - Homelessness
> 
> Title from the song Sunny Side Of The Street by Sonic Boom Six

Josh wakes up shivering. He realises he chose poorly last night, the alley he slept in runs North to South, the sun isn’t even close to touching him. He slowly, stiffly gets up from his small makeshift shelter and starts shuffling towards the street. He can find somewhere safe to sit in the sun and get some warmth back in his bones before he starts working on figuring out how he’s going to eat today.

He eventually manages to make it to the street corner, where there’s a decent bench in a patch of warm sun. It’s right outside a cafe, and he knows the smell of food will just make him hungrier, but it’s the best place he’ll find for a while, and he can manage, he’s gone without food for a lot longer than this before. And they might have bins around the back he could scavenge from.

He hasn’t been there long, when he hears the chime of the bell above the door behind him, biting back a groan at the smells that flow out of the door with the person that exits. He puts a protective hand on the battered rucksack at his side and waits for them to pass, but they don’t. Instead, a man with long hair tied in a bun and an apron around him leans on the back of the bench to Josh’s left, and this time he does groan quietly.

“It’s public property. I’m not fucking moving.” He snarls, scowling as he refuses to look at what he knows will be a judgemental expression on the other man’s face.

“I thought maybe you could come inside, have a cuppa and some soup. On me.” The man’s voice is softer and kinder than Josh was expecting, and he finally turns to look at him, his scowl deepening with suspicion.

“Everything costs something. If you don’t want money, what _will_ you want for it?” He bites out, and the man looks deeply sad for a moment, before forcing a smile and shaking his head.

“I don’t want anything for it, honestly. But if it’ll make you feel better about it, you can do the dishes after and we’ll call it even.” He suggests, and it does help, Josh feels a little less tense, a little less ready to bolt now.

“That’s really all you want in return?” He double checks warily, and the other man’s smile turns sad again, he wishes he could get it through to him that he doesn’t even want that much, he literally wants nothing in return. That’s not going to fly here though, so he nods.

“That’s really, absolutely the only thing I want in return.” He promises, trying his best to look as friendly and trustworthy as possible as Josh looks him over for a few more moments, then slowly stands.

“I won’t say no to getting to put my hands in some warm water for a while.” He finally decides, feeling self-conscious of those hands; filthy, cracked, and dry, the ragged nails he’s had to keep chewed short; as he offers one to shake as he introduces himself. The other man, Chris, doesn’t seem to notice or care as he happily takes it and returns the favour.

Josh knows he should be embarrassed by the way he starts gulping down the soup the second the bowl touches the table, but it’s so wonderfully hot and his stomach is roaring with hunger and the wide, deep bowl is half empty before his stomach is satisfied enough for him to slow down enough to actually taste it.

“This is so fucking good, oh my god.” He finally mumbles out around a mouthful once he can taste it enough to realise that it really is amazing. It’s just a simple vegetable soup, but it’s fresh, and the bread Chris set down between them is soft and warm, and it’s the best thing Josh has eaten in years.

As he finishes eating, at a much slower pace now, Chris slowly coaxes Josh’s story from him. How he’d lost his job when the company downsized five years ago, and his girlfriend dumped him and kicked him out after he’d tried and failed to get a job for more than a year, that he’d been too embarrassed to go to his parents for help, so he’d slept in his car for the better part of a year, until the road tax had run out and he ended up sleeping on the street. He misses his family _so bad_ and he hates knowing they probably think he’s dead by now, but he still can’t stomach the thought of facing them like this.

Once Josh is done talking, Chris takes his turn, wanting Josh to understand that nothing dodgy is going on, that he won’t ask more of Josh than he already grudgingly has. Because Chris comes from a very old, _very_ rich family, and he and his equally rich best friend decided early in life that they didn’t want to be like the generations of stuck up, greedy men who came before them. So Chris started up the cafe with the sole intention of bringing hot, healthy meals to those who need them most, and his best friend, Dan, bought the biggest house he could find and turned it into a halfway house of sorts.

Chris makes sure he has Josh’s undivided attention as he goes more into detail about Dan’s house than he has to, hoping to pique his interest and convince him to take the help they can give him. He describes the large, warm, comfortable house; how good and gentle and caring a person Dan is; how the only thing he asks in return for food and board is help with whatever chores his residents feel capable of doing; how much work Dan puts into helping each and every one of them with literally anything they need to thrive. Josh knows what Chris is trying to do, and though he appreciates it, and though his friend and his house sound wonderful, Josh has been burned too many times before, he’s still far too wary to jump on an offer that seems far, far too good to be true.

Once Chris is done talking, and Josh has nodded and agreed that it sounds great, but doesn’t say anything else, Chris reluctantly accepts that Josh just isn’t ready yet. He makes sure Josh has had enough to eat, and had enough time to comfortably digest his meal, then shows him to the kitchen and lets him get to work. He’d originally only meant for Josh to clean the dishes he’d used, but the pile from yesterday is still on the counter, and Josh drags it over to the sink, stubbornly insisting on doing them all.

Chris checks on him often, prepared to put his foot down if it seems like Josh is pushing himself too hard to clear any debt he feels he owes, but it’s pretty clear from the get-go that Josh is very much enjoying himself. He feels useful for the first time in forever, and the hot soapy water working its way into his skin, softening it and scrubbing away weeks of dirt, feels like heaven. Chris waits until Josh is lost in thought and focusing on working a stubborn smear of dried food from a plate, and slips into the kitchen. He pretends to be looking for something, but really he’s carefully sneaking into Josh’s rucksack, finding an inside pocket to leave some money, sandwiches, and a thermos of soup. He feels guilty for the intrusion, but since he’s trying to help, and not actually snooping in Josh’s belongings, he can live with it.

Josh is almost angry when he finds them later, but the kindness touches him, and the provisions are too badly needed, and he can’t find it in himself to feel anything more than slight frustration. He tries not to take advantage of Chris’ kindness again, but it’s a cold autumn, and they soon find themselves repeating that first day twice a week. Chris tries to convince Josh to come see him more often, that he _wants_ Josh to take advantage of what he’s offering, but Josh feels like doing the dishes and sweeping up can’t repay that much generosity, and Chris eventually admits defeat. Though it doesn’t take him long to work out exactly how much food Josh needs to see him somewhat comfortably through the days between his visits, and Chris makes sure he always leaves with just a little more than that. He still has to sneak it into Josh’s bag when he’s not looking though.

They keep up this routine for several months, and though Chris is so happy Josh has kept letting him help, he’s starting to lose hope that Josh will ever be convinced to take Dan’s help too. But then, one morning in mid-December, Josh wakes up covered in a thick layer of snow, and his lips and fingers are blue, and it scares the shit out of him. He’s colder and stiffer than he thinks he’s ever been, and it feels like it takes an eternity to hobble painfully to Chris’ door. He’s not open yet, but Chris sees the hunched form approaching, and even in the dark morning, almost doubled over, and with his long stringy hair and beard obscuring his face, Chris would recognise Josh anywhere by now.

He immediately unlocks the door and trudges through the snow to Josh’s side, starting to talk to him softly when he’s still a few feet away so Josh won’t startle when Chris gently grips his elbow and wraps an arm around his back and takes as much of Josh’s weight as he’ll let him. Chris is only wearing a thin jumper, but he’s still so much warmer that a soft sob slips from Josh at the heat radiating from him.

As soon as he has Josh inside and settled in a chair, Chris gets to work, finding the biggest mug and bowl he has and getting them ready to fill with tea and soup respectively, cranking up the heating as far as he can without making himself suffer, and calling Dan while he waits for the kettle to boil.

“I know it’s early, I’m sorry, but it’s an emergency. I have a half frozen stubborn bastard, and I need back up.” It’s all Dan needs to hear, he’s already halfway into his coat by the time Chris finishes his sentence.

Chris does his best to act natural while he waits for Dan, but Josh is too frozen to really notice anyway. He’s just finished his soup and is blinking slowly, the heat starting to work its way into his body, as Dan slips inside, careful to only open the door as much as he absolutely has to, and drops down into the remaining empty chair. He and Josh stare at each other silently for a few moments, Dan assessing what he sees, Josh trying to work out where he appeared from. Finally, Josh’s muddled brain manages to work out who he must be and why he’s there, and he slowly turns to look at Chris and nods a little.

“Thank you.” His voice is soft and hoarse, and Chris hears everything Josh can’t say. Thank you for keeping me alive. Thank you for letting me do things on my own terms. Thank you for not letting me do things on my own terms when I needed you to. Thank you for treating me like a real person.

They’re reluctant to make Josh go back out into the cold, even if it is just to get into Dan’s car, but the snow is still falling, and isn’t showing any sign of stopping. So Dan bites the bullet, bundles Josh up in the extra coat he brought for him, and hustles him out into the car. Thankfully, it’s still warm, and in no time at all, Dan’s sweating, and Josh is finally starting to feel comfortable. Any feelings of comfort Josh had vanish as he steps into the huge house, curling in on himself as his eyes dart around, trying to take in everything at once. Dan helps him out of both his coats, gently touching his back as he tries to ease him further into the house.

“C’mon love, how about we get you into the shower, and I can get all your stuff washed and maybe give you a haircut once you’re done?” He coaxes, and though Josh is still wary, and more than a little terrified, the thought of all that hot water and not being constantly blinded by his own disgusting hair is enough to convince him to unstick his feet from the floor and follow Dan upstairs.

Dan’s almost starting to worry when an hour and a half passes and Josh is still in the shower. He’s used to his new arrivals taking their time to scrub away the accumulated filth, but not usually this long. Finally, he hears the water shut off, and Josh emerges a few moments later, smiling sheepishly as he explains it took half the time he was in there just to hack through his beard enough to shave. Dan smiles easily and brushes it off, happy now he knows nothing was actually wrong, and pats the back of the chair he’s set up on top of some newspapers.

“How about we get rid of the rest of that hair now?” He suggests, and Josh happily agrees, gripping the towel around his waist to keep it in place as he sits down and gets settled.

Dan isn’t the best barber in the world, but he’s done this enough times to do a half decent job. He has to spend longer than he expected carefully cutting out three years’ worth of knotted tangles, but eventually he has it short enough to shave the back and sides, and tidy up the top. He keeps his surprise to himself when he finally gets a good look at just how attractive Josh is once he’s done. Instead, he focuses on brushing the loose hairs away from Josh’s neck and shoulders, letting his hands rest there as he grins at Josh in the mirror.

“Well look at that, who knew you were hiding under there?” He teases, and Josh laughs and grins widely. He can’t remember the last time someone used such a playful tone with him, it feels amazing.

Josh settles in better than Dan expected him to, and he’s pretty sure they have Chris to thank for that. Giving Josh that taste of domesticity and routine these past months has done wonders for him. Dan has to fight to make him take a few days before he starts helping around the house though. Dan’s heard so many stories of how living indoors again made people feel trapped, and he wants to ease Josh into it. And he needs to take him for full physical and dental checkups, and he can’t do that if Josh won’t stop cleaning and tidying everything in sight.

Josh is in better physical shape than either of them were expecting. Chris has already made a lot of progress with fixing the malnutrition and the issues that came with it, and now that he’s warm and sleeping in a comfortable bed every night, his joints aren’t as stiff and painful as they had been. There’s still a lot to fix, and the doctor gives them several pages of advice and supplements he’s going to need to take for a while, but they were definitely expecting worse. His teeth are as bad as they were expecting. Dan knew it wasn’t going to be good, he’s seen how often Josh winces during every meal and anytime he drinks something cold, so the nine fillings and three pulled teeth don’t come as a surprise.

Dan had been planning on waiting a while before starting any kind of therapy for Josh, but it quickly becomes obvious that it can’t wait. Despite Dan’s best efforts, Josh had seen the bill after the last dentist’s appointment, and he’s been frantic ever since, panicking when he can’t find something to do to repay his ‘debt’. No amount of reassurance can convince Josh that he doesn’t owe Dan anything, so after a week of trying, he gives in and calls Max, the therapist he always brings in for his residents, and has him add Josh to his weekly visits.

Dan knows it’ll take a while to make much of a dent in Josh’s issues, so he’s surprised when, three weeks into Josh’s sessions with Max, Josh sits across from him after dinner one night, visibly forcing himself to take deep breaths as he rapidly twangs an elastic band against his wrist.

“I know you mean well by not asking for much in return for what you do for us, but it scares the hell out of me. I need you to come up with something I can do to make me feel like I’m paying you back, please.” He begs, and Dan has to take a moment for the swell of pride he feels that Josh is able to admit this and ask for help.

He thinks of something easily, and stands up, motioning for Josh to follow him. He leads him out into the back garden, and Josh makes a soft surprised noise to himself when he realises where they’re going. Dan has never said the garage at the end of the garden is off-limits, but Josh and the three other residents know it’s a private, safe space for him, and they stay away from it out of respect. Josh can’t deny that he’s painfully curious though, so he doesn’t hesitate when Dan holds open the door and waves him inside.

He doesn’t know what he was expecting, but it wasn’t shelves full of carpentry tools or the rows of furniture, some half built, some all but finished, all beautiful and clearly masterfully made. Dan leads him to one of the mostly built pieces, handing him a pair of thick gloves and a sheet of sandpaper.

“I feel like I don’t get half as much done as I want to, cause so much time gets taken up with sanding and varnishing. So if you think you can manage those, you’d be doing me a huge favour.” Dan explains, and Josh agrees eagerly. He was never very good at woodwork at school, but this, this he can definitely do.

Dan shows him his sketches of how the cabinet will look when it’s finished, so Josh knows not to sand some places too harshly, and then they get to work. Within half an hour, Josh has asked so many questions about various pieces and what Dan’s currently working on and carpentry in general, that Dan slides his current project along the floor until they’re working side by side. 

Dan had intended this to be mindless manual labour, something relatively easy that would benefit both of them. But Josh is so curious and eager to learn and Dan’s more than happy to teach him, talking him through each step as he does it, and why things are done a certain way. Dan’s a little nervous about the reaction he’ll get when he notices Josh is sanding against the grain and has to step in to correct him. He’s so gentle and patient about it that Josh doesn’t mind though, just asks a few questions until he’s sure he’s doing it right now and thanks Dan for showing him.

Josh finishes the job a few hours later, and asks Dan to look it over just as Dan finishes with the table he’s been working on. Dan can’t hide his surprise as he inspects it and realises Josh has done a damn near perfect job. He’d assumed it would take him a few days and a couple of corrections, but it seems Josh is a natural. He tells Josh this, grinning at the pleased flush that creeps up Josh’s neck.

“It needs varnished now, yeah? How do I do that?” Josh asks almost immediately, and Dan’s heart aches at how eager to please he is. He would love to give him a quick lesson and leave him to it, but it’s almost midnight, and they’re both worn out. He comes up with some bullshit on the spot about how they need to let the wood rest before they can varnish it, so they may as well call it a night, and hopes he doesn’t look too guilty as they put everything away and head inside. Hopefully, by the time Josh learns enough to know he lied, he’ll be more settled and be able to understand why he did it.

Dan keeps his promise, and spends the next night teaching Josh how to properly varnish the cabinet. He proves to be a natural at this too, and they quickly fall into a routine. They spend their days working on Josh’s well-being and helping him relearn how to be part of society, and they spend their nights in the garage. Josh still happily does all the sanding and varnishing so Dan doesn’t have to, but he does so much more now too. In the space of a few months, he soaks up every word Dan gives him, working on little bits and pieces to understand better and hone his budding skills. He has no idea now how he was so bad at this in school, this is fun and easy and comes to him like breathing.

Five months after they start working together, Josh shuffles into the garage nervously, worrying a piece of paper between his fingers as he hesitantly approaches. Dan doesn’t look at him, knows it’ll put him on the spot and make things worse, so he keeps working on the desk a friend commissioned from them, listening carefully and patiently waiting.

Finally, Josh seems to screw up his courage and drops onto his stool beside Dan’s, holding out the paper. Dan takes it and looks it over, surprised to find a sketch of an ornate dagger. Josh explains it’s a Vendetta Knife, a part of Corsican culture that he wants to make a carved replica of for his dad’s birthday. Dan nods as he listens, and hands the paper back.

“You can definitely do this, what d’you need from me?” He asks, and Josh bites his lip.

“I was mostly… Checking it’d be okay to do it.” he mumbles, and Dan frowns.

“Of course it’s okay. It’s your workshop too, you don’t have to ask.” He gently corrects, and Josh beams. As confident as he’s gotten of himself and his work, reassurances like this still happen often, but Dan’s always happy to give them as long as Josh needs them.

A week later, Josh is almost done with the Vendetta Knife, when he suddenly stops working and turns to Dan, clearly having another nervous moment.

“Hey, um. When I give this to my dad, could you maybe… Come with me? It’s just… I haven’t… They don’t…” He trails off miserably, and Dan instantly knows what the problem is. Josh hasn’t gotten up the nerve to get back in touch with his family yet. They have no idea what happened or where he is or if he’s even alive.

“Of course I’ll come with you, love. I’m here no matter what you need, always, you know that.” He reassures him, and Josh sighs in relief and grins gratefully as he thanks him.

They lapse into silence again for an hour or so, until Josh sits up, cracking his back with a groan.

“Finally finished?” Dan teases, holding his hand out for the dagger. He knows it’ll be perfect, but Josh still needs his approval when he works on something on his own. Josh happily hands it over, clearing up his workbench and trying not to be too nervous as he waits for Dan’s verdict. After a minute or two, Dan lets out a low, appreciative whistle. “This is stunning, absolutely gorgeous, honestly. The detail you’ve put into the handle is insane, and the blade, it honestly looks like I could cut myself on it. It’s absolutely amazing, your dad’s gonna love it.” He praises, admiring it for another moment before handing it back, forcing himself to ignore the flutter in his chest at the pleased flush covering Josh’s face and neck.

For the past month or so, Dan’s been struggling to not break his main rule for himself. He does not fall for anyone he helps. No matter how well they’re doing, there’s still a power imbalance there, and he will not take advantage of any of them like that, not ever. It’s so hard not to fall for Josh, but he’s doing so well and Dan can’t ruin that for him. Maybe once he’s out in the world succeeding on his own, when he won’t feel like he owes Dan anything anymore. Maybe then, but not until he’s thriving and has been for a while, Dan cares about him too much to risk it any sooner than that.

They accidentally turn up to Josh’s dad’s birthday party uninvited, but no-one cares. They don’t even notice Dan, Josh’s mum screams when she sees him and throws herself on him, and he’s the only person anyone has eyes for from that moment on. Josh spends the afternoon crying and apologising, and apologising more for taking the attention away from his dad. They cry with him and wave off his apologies, just so glad he’s alive and safe and that he came home. Dan hovers in the background, sharing a beer in somewhat awkward solidarity with the brand new boyfriend of a cousin who has no idea what’s going on or why he’s even there, and meeting Josh’s eye every now and again, cocking his head to the side to silently check in with him. Josh smiles and nods every time, he’s doing totally fine, and Dan couldn’t be prouder.

The next day, Dan puts the endgame plan into action. Josh doesn’t need him much anymore, so it’s time to get him a job and a flat and get him out there on his own. When he starts outlining this plan for Josh, he doesn’t get far before he has to pause, because Josh has gone all nervous and stuttery. It takes a while of gentle coaxing, but finally, he gets Josh to voice the problem.

“I just… Kind of thought we would… Keep working together.” Josh reluctantly admits, and Dan’s touched, he really is, but carpentry is just a hobby for him, a fun little sideline to make sure he doesn’t use up all his family’s money. He’s trying to think of a way to gently explain that to Josh, when an idea comes to him.

“I would love to, but I don’t have the time to do it properly, not without giving up helping people here. But you should. I’ll be a silent partner, give you what you need to get started, you can pay me back once you’re earning enough, if you’re going to insist on it. But other than that, you don’t need me. I know you’ve only just started, but you have so much more natural talent than I could ever dream of. There’s a few more technical things I have to teach you, but other than that, it’s all you. You’re amazing at this and have been since the first time I put a tool in your hand. You can do this, and I’m going to make sure you do.” Josh is a little choked up by the time Dan’s finished. He almost argued a few times, but the confidence and belief in him in Dan’s voice made his own voice die in his throat. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, trying to find the words, until he manages to focus on the only part of Dan’s speech that won’t make him choke up again.

“I’m fucking paying you back.” He insists, and though his voice is still watery, Dan doesn’t doubt him for a second even as he laughs.

It takes a little longer than Dan’s original plan, but they do it. They find a nice little studio in a decent part of town, with a great workshop in the back, and even better, a flat right above it, all of which Josh is now the very nervous owner of. Dan insists on continuing to pay Josh’s bills until he’s fully on his feet, and though Josh doesn’t like it, he knows refusing would give him a good chance of ending up right back at square one. 

It doesn’t take long for him to not need Dan at all, though. Dan mentions Josh and his studio to one of his rich friends, shortly after Josh has made enough pieces to fully open. That friend comes by to poke around curiously, and drops twenty grand like it’s nothing. Within weeks, word spreads around those upper circles, and Josh can barely keep up. Within three months, he’s paid back everything Dan gave him for the studio and his bills, and donated a little extra to him and Chris as a thank you for everything they did for him.

Through no conscious decision on either of their parts, Josh and Dan drift into the background of each other’s lives. They’re still friends, and still see each other occasionally, but they’re both so busy, and Josh is doing so well now, that they just aren’t as centred on each other anymore.

Josh fucking hates it.

On a bitterly cold morning in mid-December; two years to the day since they met, not that he knows it; Josh turns up on Dan’s doorstep. Dan’s worried for a moment, but Josh still looks healthy and well, he’s wrapped up warm in what some of Dan’s friends would call a ‘cheap’ designer coat, and there’s a modestly impressive car parked behind Dan’s in the driveway. It’s obvious Josh isn’t here because he needs help, and Dan relaxes, though he still can’t figure out why he is here.

“I can’t fucking do this anymore.” Josh growls, and before Dan can ask what’s wrong, Josh steps up into the doorway, grabs two fistfuls of Dan’s hoodie, and kisses him.

Dan had thought he was just about over Josh, until that kiss, but then everything else falls away and nothing else exists but the two of them. Until his neighbour wolf whistles at them from his own driveway and they break apart with embarrassed grins. Dan pulls Josh into the house and leads him to his office, throwing up the ‘do not disturb’ sign before locking the door behind them. He has seven residents at the moment, this is about the only place they’ll get privacy.

“I wasn’t sure if you… But you seemed to…” Dan hasn’t seen Josh this nervous in a long time, but it’s no less endearing now.

“Shut up.” He grins, grabbing the lapels of Josh’s fancy coat and dragging him down to kiss him again.

Dan decides later, when they’re tangled together in his bed and he has no idea how he’ll face his residents after the noise they made, that drifting apart really was the best thing for them. The power imbalance, and the worry of it, are gone now. The image of Josh The Resident isn’t part of how Dan sees him anymore. This man is powerful and confident and knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to go get it, this is a whole different man now. And Dan couldn’t adore him more if he tried.


End file.
